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eNVIrONMeNT CONTrOl

degrade if they are abandoned, leading
to encroachment, a phenomenon that is
more prevalent in developed countries
experiencing rural abandonment. How-
ever, rangelands show an amazing ca-
pacity for recovery when management
is improved, getting back many of their
ecological functions. Accordingly, there
are two main types of restoration: pas-
sive restoration, which involves improv-
ing grazing management and letting the
land recover under limited use, and ac-
tive restoration, which involves activities
such as reseeding, active removal of in-
vasive species or pasture improvement.
Additional strategies could involve the
recovery of traditional silvopastoral sys-
tems. It should be noted that the longer
rangelands are left to degrade, the lon-
ger it takes to restore them. This is why
early action is crucial and less costly. ernment representatives and non-State Heritage Systems (GIAHS). FAO has also
Restoring rangelands is important be- actors, including pastoralist organi- developed adapted tools and guidelines
cause the productivity of pastoral sys- zations, academia, private sector and such as the Participatory Rangelands
tems and livestock is directly linked to other representatives of the UN system, and Grasslands Assessment (PRAGA),
the productivity of rangelands. There- who developed the Year’s Global Action the RECSOIL protocols, the Technical
fore, improving rangeland health im- Plan. The Year has already gathered the Guide on Improving Governance of Pas-
proves animal health and production, as support of over 400 organizations and toral Lands, the Livestock Sector Invest-
well as people's livelihoods, food secu- individuals that form the Global Alliance ment and Policy Toolkit (LSIPT), or the
rity and income. for Rangelands and Pastoralists – a sig- feed balance assessments that improve

11. Why did the UN declare 2026 the nificant achievement in itself. Through- decision-making in rangeland and pas-
International Year of Rangelands and out the year, a number of regional and toralist systems. FAO supports pasto-
Pastoralists, and why should people global pastoralist gatherings and events ralists on the ground by improved so-
everywhere care about their future? will be held. Some technical documents cial services and innovation, including
will be developed to improve the global through Pastoralist and AgroPastoralist
The International Year of Rangelands knowledge of rangelands and pastoral-
and Pastoralists 2026 was declared fol- ists, setting a forward-looking vision for Field Schools, participatory extension
lowing a request from the Government a sustainable future based on recom- approaches, and targeted capacity de-
of Mongolia to the Committee of Agri- mendations emerging from the gather- velopment for women, youth, and com-
culture of FAO. People should care about ings. munity organizations that depend on
rangelands and pastoralists because, in rangelands. FAO has also played a sig-
a world searching for solutions to the in- Over the past few years, FAO has al- nificant role on promoting approaches
terconnected climate, biodiversity, and ready been at the forefront of promot- that integrate pastoralism with forestry
land degradation crises, rangelands and ing rangelands and pastoralism within and optimize the use of woody vegeta-
pastoralists are part of the answer. They global and national policy frameworks. tion in drylands. As such, the Working
are a nature-based food production sys- It has improved advocacy for range- group on dryland forests and agrosil-
tem that can feed the world without de- lands and pastoralism within policy pro- vopastoral systems of the Committee
stroying it, provided they are given the cesses, notably through its Pastoralist on Forestry is supporting countries to
right conditions to do so. As stated in the Knowledge Hub, a global gateway for develop pastoralist-friendly policies
slogan of the International Year, range- discussing pastoralist and rangeland and supporting silvopastoralism as a
lands are lands in motion, and pastoral- issues. In partnership with governments critical strategy for the sustainability of
ists are stewards of knowledge and the and pastoralist organizations, the hub the world’s drylands. We hope that this
future. collects data on pastoral systems and Year will be an opportunity to celebrate
helps quantify the contribution of pas- rangelands and pastoralists, to listen to
12. What is FAO’s role for this Year? toral systems to the Sustainable Devel- their voices, to value their knowledge,
What is FAO already doing to protect opment Goals, advocating for better and to translate this understanding into
rangelands and pastoralists?
investment in these systems. This recog- better policies and investments that will
FAO coordinates this Year and serves nition was further enhanced by the in- have a lasting positive impact on these
as the Secretariat of its International clusion of several pastoralist-based sys- communities and ecosystems well be-
Steering Committee, composed of gov- tems as Globally Important Agricultural yond 2026. Circle 32 on enquiry card
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